Pink Slip is devoted to topics related - however tangentially - to the workplace, business, management, the economy, lay-offs, etc. At least that's how it started out. Now it's whatever pops into my mind.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Look out below!

Sure, there was an occasional wheel coming loose and hurtling down to earth towards an unsuspecting pedestrian, the occasional chunk of frozen lavatory that somehow got flushed mid-flight and landed with a thud on the roof of someone’s car. Then there’s lightning strikes. And meteors. But, let’s face it, it used to be that the worse thing that could fall from the sky onto your dear, sweet head was bird crap.

Sure, it always happened at an inopportune time, after you’d left your house heading somewhere important. Never when you were walking in after a workout and were going to hop in the shower anyway.

But, while it was foul (fowl?), it was pretty much no harm.

That was before GoPro launched squadrons of Karma drones that have the tremendously unfortunately property – at least for something airborne that’s not a parachute – that it falls to earth. All on its own.

So GoPro’s first foray into drown-world has fallen flat, and, after just a month out in the market, GoPro has announced a recall. Here’s what they had to say for themselves:

GoPro is committed to providing our customers with great product experiences. To honor this commitment, we have recalled Karma until we resolve a performance issue related to a loss of power during operation. We plan to resume shipment of Karma once the issue is addressed.(Source: GoPro statement, reported in Popular Mechanics)

I will give GoPro a nod for not exactly skirting the issue. No, they didn’t say “it could drop out of the sky and kill someone”, but “loss of power during operation” is pretty darned close.

If you want to see for yourself just what a drone failure looks like Popular Mechanics also provided a link to a PetaPixel video.

GoPro is offering a camera as a consolation prize, but if you weren’t content with strapping a camera to your forehead and videoing your every adventurous move, and really wanted a drone camera, well….you is out of luck as far as GoPro goes.

Last Christmas, it was the exploding hoverboards. This year it’s the falling drones. What’ll be next Christmas, after consumer protection is dismantled. Recall-schmecall! Bombs away! Look out below!